M-ettes take third at Malta Invitational

The Malta M-ettes hosted the 2016 Malta Athletic Club Invitational Cross Country Meet on Saturday, September 10. The M-ettes took third overall among fourteen girls' teams at the meet. Teams represented at the girls meet included Harlem, Winnett, Havre, Frazer, Plentywood, Glasgow, Rocky Boy, Hobson, Box Elder, Richey, Hays-Lodge Pole, Culbertson, Dodson-Whitewater, and Malta.

"It is one of the larger meets along the Hi-Line, with 142 runners between the boy's and girl's races, and 16 teams represented," M-ette Head Coach Thea Solberg told the PCN.

The Glasgow Lady Scotties took first place overall with 64 points. Havre took second with 90 points. Malta took third with 145 points and Rocky Boy took fourth with 154 points.

L'Tia Lawrence of Harlem won the individual race with a time of 20:30. Winnett's Rita Weingart took second overall with a time of 20:47 and Havre's Kadia Miller took third place with a time of 21:04.

The boy's race was won by Hays-Lodge Pole's Isaiah Runs Above who had a time of 17:26. Glasgow's Merlin McKean took second with a time of 17:42. Ellis McKean of Glasgow took third with a time of 17:43.

Glasgow took first overall in the boy's race with 35 points. Havre was second with 51 and Richey was third with 142.

The boy's teams present were Hays Lodge-Pole, Glasgow, Havre, Frazer, Wolf Point, Richey, Box Elder, Harlem, Rocky Boy, Dodson, Brockton, Culbertson, Plentywood, and Winnett.

M-ette junior TaChante' Cole took eighth place among varsity runners with a time of 23:19. Jillian O'Brien took seventeenth with a time of 24:14. Mariah Green took thirty-fourth with a time of 27:27. Taylor Gilkerson took forty-first with a time of 29:10 and Taylor Eggebrecht took forty-fifth with a time of 30:20.

Cole posted her second fastest time in her three year career.

"It was pretty good," Cole said. "It was a lot better than when we ran the course for practice."

According to Cole, the practices had stronger winds and it blew against their stride.

"Last year's course was a little easier because we took out some of the hills... but this may be the fastest time that I've ever ran the Malta meet and my second faster I've ran in cross country."

O'Brien, a freshman, posted her second fastest time of the season.

"I started off way too fast and then I slowed down because I was too tired," O'Brien said.

In order to qualify for state in Class B, times have to be below thirty-five minutes and the runner has to be in the top seven amongst their teammates.

Though she is among the youngest runners on the team, O'Brien has already qualified.

"That is really a good feeling, since it's my first year," O'Brien said.

The course was damp due to the rain that fell a day before the meet, adding to the suspense of the race.

"I slipped in some mud," Cole said. "I didn't fall but I kind of slipped. There was a big mud patch that I didn't see."

Both Cole and O'Brien hope to reach twenty-two minutes by the end of the year and both said that working hard in practice will be the key to reach that goal.

In the JV race, Monicha Williamson took eighth place with a time of 29:07. Jada Nicholson took tenth with a time of 30:09. Reese Sjostrom took eleventh with a time of 30:143 and Sarah Ware was fourteenth with a time of 33:54.

Though Ware was able to run in the home meet of her career, the senior wasn't happy with her time.

"It was just really hot and the hills were killing me," Ware said.

She did have a high point in the race, where she was pleased with her running.

"At my kick in the end, I sprinted 100 meters and beat a Havre girl by the last second," Ware said.

Ware knows she can improve her time and has a plan.

"I need to work harder at practice and try to keep up with some of the faster girls," Ware said.

Being in cross country since her sophomore year, Ware had never participated in a Malta invitational and she noticed a big difference.

"I kind of know the course better but it kind of sucks because it's hillier than all of the other meets," Ware said. "It helps me get my endurance up."

Coach Solberg thought the meet ran smoothly, with everything cleared within two hours of the opening race.

"It was a successful meet and the cross country team and coaches would like to thank everyone who helped in any way they could and to all of you who took in a great meet on a beautiful late summer Saturday," Coach Solberg said.